Jesus
quotes the following statement, "Do not break your oath, but keep
the oaths you have made to the Lord." Once more, this quotation
is not found in the Old Testament. Some of the ideas carried in this quotation
are found in the Old Law, but there is a subtle flaw in the statement.
The statement affirms that oaths made to God are binding, as taught in
Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:23 and Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, but it implies
that some oaths are not binding.

Oaths,
swearing, and vows are all words used to indicate a promise made to someone
which are bound by something else. Oaths are bound with various things,
such as material things, a person's reputation, a person's religion,
a person's life, or anything else that the person accepting the oath
would receive. Giving a newly purchased car as collateral for a loan to
purchase the car is a form of an oath. You are promising to repay the
debt and if you don't the person giving the loan can take possession
of your car. Oaths and swearing in this case do
not refer to cursing or foul language, though these words do carry
these additional meanings in today's English language. Using foul
language or cursing is wrong (Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, James 3:10),
but Matthew 5:33-37 is not the passage to use to prove cursing is wrong.

The
Old Law teaches that all promises are binding (Number 30:1-16, Psalms
15:4, Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). About the only exception is for women who are
not held responsible in committing the family. In these cases, the woman's
father or husband can cancel the vow, if he does so immediately upon hearing
the vow. Look at Numbers 30:2 again. The law doesn't say that only
oaths made to God are binding. All oaths, to the Lord or not, are binding.
The Old Law also instructs the Israelites to deal honestly with each other
(Leviticus 19:11, Proverbs 12:22, Zechariah 8:16-17). Notice that the
law does not require an oath. If an oath is used, one must abide by the
terms of the oath. Whether or not an Israelite made a formal vow, he was
expected to keep his word.

In
contrast, the Jews of Jesus' time believed that only certain kinds
of oaths were binding. In Matthew 23:16-22, Jesus states that the Jews
believed that swearing by the temple, the altar or God's throne was
not binding, but swearing by the temple's treasury or a sacrifice
on the altar was binding. According to the Mishna (a Jewish commentary
on the Law), "Oaths may only be taken about what can be defined according
to size, weight, or number." "If a claim concerns these, no
oath is imposed: bondsmen, written documents, immovable property, and
the property of the Temple." The Mishna also states that claims made
with the phrase 'I adjure you,' 'I command you,' or 'I
bind you' are binding, but a claim made with the phrase 'By heaven
and earth' are not binding. Is it any wonder that few Gentiles would
trust a Jew?

Jesus
states in Matthew 5, not to use oaths to bind your word. The examples
he gives: by heaven, by God's throne, by earth, by Jerusalem, and
by the hair on your head, are all oaths that the Jews would consider to
be non-binding. In other words, Jesus is forbidding hypocritical oaths,
but he is not necessarily ruling out all oaths. We have examples of oaths
that are acceptable in the Bible. God swore an oath to Abraham by himself
(Hebrews 6:13-17). Jesus was under oath at his trial (Matthew 26:63-64).
Paul took a vow while at Antioch (Acts 18:18). These oaths were acceptable
because the people making the oath intended to keep their promise. Making
an oath when you have no intention of keeping your word is the same as
lying. As a matter of fact, oaths are not necessary for children of God.
Simply stating that you will or will not do something is sufficient to
bind you to keep your word.

These
laws have not changed under the New Law. A Christian's word is binding
because he may not lie (Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:25). Taking an oath
which is not intended to be fulfilled is wrong (James 5:12). In fact,
oaths are unnecessary for Christians. Simply making a statement is sufficient.
Anything more means that the people accepting the oath do not trust you.

Meditation:

List
three ways we are asked to make oaths in our daily lives.

In
your own words, summarize what a Jew in Jesus's time would consider
binding and not binding in a promise.

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